You're probably going to be spending "Spring Break" in your dealership, but that doesn't mean you can't dream a little. Lean back in your chair and imagine you're on a beach with the smell of salt water and sun-baked sand filling the air. See, it's like you're already there.
While you're dreaming of some of your own Spring Break activities — a lengthy nap, anyone? — here are some of our favorites, and what they can teach us about marketing and staff training.
Hit the Slopes
Many of us around the Callbright office grew up in Texas, so heading northeast (or just east — it's a big state) for a snowy Spring Break was an annual pilgrimage. While skiing down the bunny slope was probably the norm, we all dreamt of speeding down a double black diamond. But skiing is a very technical sport and takes years of practice to get right.
You need lots of training if you're going to tackle the toughest slopes on the mountain, and your sales team needs just as much training if they're going to be successful working with some of the toughest customers. Use a call recording program so you can easily evaluate how your sales reps are performing on the phone. This will help you tailor training programs to meet specific pain points and improve your staff's call handling overall.
Warm up at the Beach
We know Spring Break doesn't have to be all about kicking back by the ocean, but a week in the sun has to sound pretty good to our freezing neighbors in the north. Warming up is the best part of spending Spring Break by the ocean. Of course a rainy Spring Break could cool things off if you didn't check the weather.
Checking the weather forecast to plan your days during Spring Break is just like checking the status of your marketing campaigns. Are they still hot, or have they seen brighter days? Just like you would make alternate plans on a rainy day, you'd come up with a different strategy for a stale marketing campaign. While we can't tell you how to predict the future, we can tell you that using unique toll-free numbers (TFNs) on your different campaigns and tracking the resulting calls can help you identify where you're having the most success. This will help you decide whether or not to keep certain campaigns running.
Do Something Charitable
Spring Break doesn't have to be all about the extravagant places you can visit. Instead of spending the week on a beach or in the mountains, many people spend the break doing charity work to help the less fortunate. These people spend their Spring Break volunteering at homeless shelters, building homes with non-profit organizations and even going on trips to volunteer in other countries.
Being charitable is something you and your company can actually do. Get some of your employees involved or use your dealership's brand to sponsor a charitable organization or program. Volunteering in your community can endear your brand and let people know that you care.
What else are you doing to enhance your marketing this spring? Let us know in the comments.
